When designing movable components such as bin covers, glove box closures, cell phone holders that open and close to receive a cellular telephone, and the like, for vehicle interiors, it is desirable to present a vehicle occupant with an uninterrupted surface. Uninterrupted surfaces are generally perceived as being more aesthetically pleasing than a surface having knobs, buttons, or other interruptions. The movement of such movable components from a closed position to an open position is commonly controlled by a latch arrangement. A conventional latch arrangement may use a button, a switch, a lever, a clasp or other release mechanism to lock and unlock movement of the movable component. Such release mechanisms visually disrupt an otherwise uninterrupted surface of the movable component.
One latch arrangement that avoids the use of a visible release mechanism is a conventional push-push latch arrangement. A conventional push-push latch arrangement enables a user to push on the movable component itself rather than actuating a button, a switch, a lever, a clasp, or any other visible actuator. In response to the push, hidden components of the conventional push-push latch arrangement will move with respect to one another and will cause the movable component to become locked in a closed position. A second push on the movable component will release the movable component and permit it to move to an open position. A further push will start the lock-unlock cycle over again.
While conventional push-push latch arrangements are aesthetically pleasing, under certain circumstances, they can be disadvantageous. For example, if the movable component is oriented such that the actuating push is aligned with the direction of vehicle travel, then in a head-on or a rear-end collision, the push-push latch arrangement may react to the collision force as though a push had been initiated. This, in turn, may allow the movable component to become unlatched and it may move to the open position. This is undesirable and may also run afoul of certain government regulations.
One known solution is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,578, issued to Bivens and entitled “Latch Mechanism” (hereinafter, “Bivens”). While Bivens discloses the use of a damper in conjunction with a push-push latch mechanism to dampen the rate at which a movable component can move from its closed position to its open position, Bivens does not disclose a solution that inhibits the movable component from opening during a collision. Thus, while this solution may be fine for preventing damage to the movable component as it opens unexpectedly, it does not address the problem described above. Depending upon the severity of a collision, the forces exerted on a push-push latch arrangement made in accordance with Bivens' disclosure may cause the movable component to open during the collision despite the presence of the damper.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to introduce a push-push latch arrangement that does not open during a vehicle collision. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.